At least two police officers have been sacked, seven have resigned and 150 faced disciplinary action after posting inappropriate photos or comments on Facebook in the past four years.

Officers used the social networking site, which has 30 million users in the UK, to harass former partners and ex-colleagues, comment on others' wives, and suggest they had beaten up members of the public during protests.

Some revealed details of police operations, tried to befriend victims of crime or were caught in inappropriate photographs, forces said.

The details, released to the Press Association after a Freedom of Information request, came as a review into police corruption found a "significant blurring" between officers' personal and professional lives on social networking sites which risked damaging the service's reputation.

One officer with the Hampshire force was dismissed without notice in 2009 for posting a racist comment on Facebook. No other details were released. The figures, from 41 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, cover 2008 to 2010. Earlier this year an officer was sacked for referring to a colleague as a "grass" and a liar on Facebook and harassing a female colleague.

The figures showed that seven officers – two special constables from the Dorset force and one officer each from the Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Essex, North Wales, and South Yorkshire forces – resigned after complaints.

The South Yorkshire officer resigned after an allegation of improper disclosure of information on Facebook, while others posted inappropriate comments or pictures. Another constable, Nestor Costa, of Devon and Cornwall police, was fined three days' pay in 2008 after writing under a video of a youth with a knife being tackled by officers in a police station: "Look at this stupid cunt, hope he gets a good fucking shoeing in the cells."

A total of 187 complaints were made against officers over their use of Facebook, with nine being given final written warnings, 47 given written warnings and one given a formal warning. Another 88 officers were subject to management action, received guidance or words of advice, while 32 complaints were withdrawn, found to be unsubstantiated or led to no further action. One disciplinary outcome in Leicestershire, following comments made on Facebook, was withheld by the force.

Roger Baker, who led a review into police corruption for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, said: "Social networking is seen as a risk by all forces and authorities, but there are limited or inconsistent policies around what is acceptable, what you should do, what you shouldn't do.

"We found a significant blurring between people's professional lives on social networking sites and their private lives which may be in the public domain and private lives which probably should remain extremely private."

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the service recognised the widespread benefits of social networking sites, but also understood the risks relating to compromise, operational effectiveness and reputational damage".

Chief Constable Mike Cunningham, Acpo's lead for professional standards, said: "Whilst officers and staff have a right to privacy and to share opinions and experiences with friends and associates, they should also be aware of the risk they are subject to when they identify themselves as being a member of the service.

"For this reason, forces are revising their existing procedures on information security to include specific reference to the responsible use of social networking sites and are providing clear guidance on acceptable content.

"They are also taking active steps to highlight risks and include awareness training in induction programmes and in wider police officer training."

Cunningham said professional standards departments ensured that officers and staff placing inappropriate comments or pictures were held to account and, depending on the degree of severity, were "removed from the service or subject to more educationally based action to modify awareness and prevent further inappropriate behaviour".

A study of eight forces found that 3.4% (1,849) of officers and staff using Facebook identified themselves as police employees, of which 2% (43) had posted inappropriate pictures or comments. One in six officers with a public profile displayed police-related content in their profile picture, such as photos of them in uniform.

But in one force, which was not identified, more than one in eight officers with a public profile had posted inappropriate comments or photographs. These included displays of nudity or partial nudity, offensive and abusive language, and excessive alcohol consumption, the review found.

The inspectors called for ways to monitor officers' use of social media to be explored and consideration given to "ensuring that all police officers and staff understand the boundaries within which to operate on social networking sites – clearly explaining how they relate to professional and personal use".